How would Tiger handle a gator?

When it comes to close encounters of the rare kind, Corinne and Jay Fiske had them on both the East and the West Coast. One involves an alligator on a golf course; the other, a fast-food icon.

Jay, owner of Northwest Benefit Auctions in Bellevue, wishes his golf clubs accumulated frequent-flier miles. He carries them to charity events around the country. When the Woodinville couple married last summer, the reception included a round of golf at Bear Creek Country Club.

Which explains why they were on the golf course Tuesday while vacationing in Hilton Head, S.C.

Corinne's ball landed about 5 feet from a lake paralleling a fairway. As the couple approached the ball, they saw an alligator gliding toward them from the middle of the lake.

When Corinne got out of the cart to hit her ball, the alligator was approaching the shore. Corinne, now about 10 yards away from her ball, waited.

The alligator waddled ashore, walked up to the ball and swallowed it.

"If we hadn't noticed the gator and Corrine tried to hit the ball, he could have been on her before she completed her swing," Jay said.

Corinne wasn't upset about possibly being alligator lunch or about the alligator playing through.

She was, however, upset because he ate a new Callaway golf ball.

Not long ago, Jay was auctioneer at a gala on the Midway, the San Diego Aircraft Carrier Museum.

The party headliners included Bob Hope's family, who were there to receive an award in Hope's honor; comedian Rich Little, who entertained the 1,200 guests; and emcee Ed McMahon.

"The highlight of the auction was when Jack, of Jack in the Box commercials, strolled out to hand me a check for $30,000 for the museum's educational programs," Jay Fiske said.

Corinne used the opportunity to tease her husband.

"I used to think you didn't know jack," she said. "But I can't say that anymore."

Comforts of home

Forget jeans day or Hawaiian-shirt day: Too dressy.

Those folks in bathrobes who wandered through the Factoria-area shops Wednesday were in work attire. Employees at T-Mobile in Bellevue celebrated "Wear Your Bathrobe to Work Day."

The ultra-casual attire celebrated the launch of T-Mobile HotSpot @Home, a way of combining cellphone voice service with wireless Internet service (Wi-Fi) at home.

FYI: The memo announcing bathrobe day reminded employees to wear appropriate work attire under their robes.

One last grin

Phyllis Sandel of Redmond shared the conversation from a recent gathering of friends. One woman, whose sister has a ranch in the Midwest, enthralled the group with stories about spring lambing. When asked how many sheep were in the flock, the woman said 300. Another asked how many rams. About 12.

"The woman next to me whispered, 'What does the computer have to do with lambing?' " Sandel said. "We all had a good laugh after explaining the birds and bees and that male sheep are called rams."

Sherry Grindeland: 206-515-5633 or sgrindeland@seattletimes.com